The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement

The Harlem Renaissance During the 1920s African Americans began migrating from the Deep South to large cities in the North. The largest concentration of African-Americans was in Harlem, in New York City. This became the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance – an African-American artistic development that encouraged racial pride and political organization. African-Americans dominated in Jazz Music during this time.

Brown vs. Board of Education, 1955 The Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” facilities were inherently unconstitutional. This was first tested when President Eisenhower supported the move to integrate public schools in the United States. There was incredible resistance to this by mobs and politicians alike. Some schools in the Deep South resisted this law until the mid-1970s

Montgomery Bus Boycott This was the first challenge to the Jim Crow laws in the South. Rosa Parks, a seamstress, from Montgomery, Alabama was arrested when she refused to give her seat on the bus to a white customer. MLK Jr. used this incident as a reason to challenge the Jim Crow laws. He began a year long boycott of the bus system in Montgomery which resulted in the bus system going bankrupt. Montgomery was forced to integrate its public transportation system.

SCLC is Formed The Southern Christian Leadership Conference began in the African- American churches and used the civil rights movement as its way to overthrow Jim Crow laws. Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as the leader of this group, and later as the leader of the entire movement. He preached for non-violent resistance and civil disobedience.

Crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas When attempts were made to integrate public schools, public officials always blocked it. When the governor of Arkansas and violent mobs repeatedly kept African-Americans from attending school in Little Rock, Arkansas President Eisenhower called in the National Guard to escort the students to school and end the violence. This was the first place that the Brown vs. Board ruling was challenged, and it became a great victory for the Civil Rights Movement. The African-American students were escorted to and from school and to each class the entire school year.

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 This was the 1st Civil Rights legislation to come through Congress since the end of Reconstruction. Though it was greatly watered down by Southern Congress members, it paved the way for the future. This allowed African- Americans to register to vote and began a great movement amongst Northern college students who went to the South to help with voter registration.